Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol, his head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Monday, after suffering two traumatic head injuries earlier this season.
McDaniel said he was not sure when Tagovailoa suffered the concussion, saying “nobody recognized anything” with regard to a hit during the Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers.
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“It was something he met with doctors today and discussed some symptoms,” McDaniel said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Although McDaniel couldn’t point to a specific play, there was a moment highlighted by several Twitter users when Tagovailoa is tackled in the second quarter, and his head appears to bounce off the ground.
Tagovailoa has been beset by head injuries this season, leading to a reassessment of how the NFL handles them.
Saw this live. And I recorded it because I knew as soon as I saw it. This happened late in the 1st half. And I believe Tua played 2nd half with a concussion. His head bounced off the ground. And it was very similar to the hit in Cincinnati. 3 INTs in the 4th qtr. proved it to me. pic.twitter.com/Djl0xkGToX
— Michael Williams (@SelfMade0602) December 25, 2022
In October, he stumbled off the field during a game against the Buffalo Bills but was allowed to continue playing.
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Days later, in a prime-time matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, he was again on the receiving end of a brutal hit that caused his fingers to lock up. Medical experts at the time said this was the way the body would act as part of a “neurological response to head trauma.” The injury caused Tagovailoa to miss nearly a month of action. The Dolphins were heavily criticized for ever allowing him to play in the Bengals game.
The Dolphins are currently locked in a race for a playoff spot. They lost 26-20 to the Packers, dropping to 8-7 with two games to go. If Tagovailoa misses this weekend’s game against the New England Patriots, Teddy Bridgewater will replace him at quarterback.
